ROCKFORD (IL)
Rockford Register Star
November 15, 2018
By Corina Curry and Kevin Haas
When the Diocese of Rockford released a list Wednesday of clergy members accused of sexual abuse, Sid Pauletto searched for the name of the priest who he said abused him more than 50 years ago.
It wasn’t there.
There are four other clergy members publicly accused of abuse who are not on the diocese’s list, including the priest Pauletto identified. Pauletto, along with advocates for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy members, have criticized the diocese’s list as incomplete and renewed calls for an independent investigation of sexual abuse by priests.
The diocese named 15 clergy members on Wednesday, covering a span from 1908 to today. The only names listed are those associated with cases in which the diocese says it found some proof of the allegations.
The list supports the diocese’s claim that those working in the diocese today have done nothing wrong, said Penny Weigert, director of communications for the diocese.
“It proves what we have said,” Weigert said. “Anyone with a credible accusation against them is not in our ministry.”
Still, Pauletto believes that his complaint was never given the attention it deserved. He said he was never questioned after coming forward and is not aware of any investigation.
“It just pisses me off that they’re pushing it off like it never happened,” said Pauletto, 67, who now lives in Roscoe.
To report an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor, the Diocese of Rockford asks that people call the police in the county in which the abuse occurred and then contact the Diocese of Rockford at its victim abuse hotline, 815-293-7540 or reportsexualabuse@rockforddiocese.org.
For more information about the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Essential Norms, the diocese’s safe environment policies and training of children and adults in prevention, detection and reporting of sexual abuse, the diocese asks that
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